Improvement in lubricating axle-boxes



C.- MEZEIX.

Car-Axle Box.

Patented June 30, 1863.

Inventor,

wltnesses NITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

C. MEZEIX, OF NEW YORK,,N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN LUBRICATING AXLE-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,059, dated June 30, 1863 antedated November 9, 1861.

.tion of same, the line 3/ y, Fig. 1, indicatipg the plane of section.

Similar letters of reference in both figures indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in arranging in the interior of the reservoir which surrounds the axle-box, and which contains the oil or grease, a reciprocating piston operating in a suitable cylinder, and operated by an eccentric or any other suitable means, in combination with a curved ascension tube or spout, in such a manner that by the action of the piston the grease is forced up and discharged through the spout on the journal, and that the surplus grease which drips down from the journal is sucked up by the pump and used over and over again as long as the axle is in motion.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to'describe its construction and operation, with refe1 ence to the drawings.

I The reservoir or cup A, which contains the oil or grease, is arranged so that it surrounds thejournal of the axle B, which has its bearing in the box 0. This axle-box may be rigidly attached to the false top a of the reservoir, as clearly shown in the drawings, or it may be placed on springs or arranged in any desirable manner. The false top a of the reservoir is perforated with a hole, I), which registers with the oil-hole c in the axle-box, and oil or grease is introduced into the reservoir through an aperture, d,inits top, which is closed by a lid, 0. The grease which is poured in through the aperture 61 passes down through the holes I) 0 on the journal, from whence it drips down and collects at the bottom of the reservoir. The oil or grease which thus accumulates on the bottom of the reservoir enters into the pump barrel of cylinder F, the

bottom of which is provided with an aper ture, e, and this aperture is closed by an in wardly-opening valve, h, as clearly shown in the drawings. The piston j, which works in the interior of the cylinder F, receives its motion from an eccentric wristpin, i, inserted into the end of the axle, or by an eccentric disk, which may be secured to the axle, and it (the piston) is provided with a valve, j, opening upward, so that-when the piston descends the oil from the lower part of the cylinder passes through the piston to the upper part of the cylinder, and as the piston ascends the oil contained in the upper part of the cylinder is forced out through the ascension tube or spout g, and at the same time the valve h in the bottom of the cylinder opens, and oil is admitted to the lower part of said cylinder. The ascension-tube 9 passes up through the false top a, and its upper end is curved, carrying its mouth over the hole I), so that the oil which is forced up by the action of the pump finds its way readily through the oil-hole'c to the journal of the axle. The oil which is thus constantly poured upon the journal, as soon as the axle begins to rotate, after passing down over the journal, collects at the bottom of the reservoir, from whence it is pumped up over and over again, until the motion of the axle stops.

This invention is particularly adapted to axles of railroad cars and locomotives, and. an axle supplied with one of my lubricating devices can be kept in motion for twenty-four hours and more without requiring any attendance. It may, however, be used with advantage for journal-boxes of every description, and in some cases the reservoir may be ar ranged in the interior ofthe journal-box itself.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- The arrangement of the reciprocating piston f, pumpbarrel F, and ascension-tube g, in combination with the reservoir A, surrounding the axle-box B, the whole being constructed and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose shown and described.

O. MEZEIX. Witnesses:

' JAMES LAIRD, G. W. REED. 

